Mill.



J.. C. KELLER & W. L. HEECE.

MILL.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE L2. |915.v

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MILL.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 12. |915. 1 ,206,71 6. Patented Nov. 28, 1916. l() 4 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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JAMES C. KELLER AND WILSON L. REECE, 'OE BUTLER, TENNESSEE; SAID KELLER ASSIGNOR OF ONE-FOURTH OF THE WHOLE RIGHT TO JOHN E. REEGE, OF

JBU'TLEE,y TENNESSEE.

MILL.

` Patented NOV. 28, 1916.

Application filed .T une 12, 1915. Serial No. 33,822.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, JAMES C. KELLER and WILSON L. REEoE, citizens of the United States, residing atl Butler, in the county of Johnson and State of Tennessee, have inv vented new and useful Improvements in Mills, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to mills for .grinding corn, grain and the like,` and it has par.- ticular reference toa double mill comprising in a single organized structure two sets of mill stones. f

One object of the invention is to produce a mill of simple and improved construction in which either one .of the mill units may be utilized independently and where the two mill units may be utilized simultaneously, as may .be required. n

A further object of the invent-ion is to construct in connection with the mill units a crushing mill for crushing and grinding corn on the cob and like material, the same to be driven by the source of power utilized for ydriving the mill units.

l/Vith these and other ends in view which will readily appear as the nature of the invention is .better understood, the same consists in the improved construction and novel arrangement and combination of parts which will be hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings has been villustrated a simple and preferred form of the invention, it being, however, understood that no limitation is necessarily made to the precise structural details therein exhibited, but that changes, alterations and modifications within the scope ofthe claims may be resorted to when desired. l

In the drawings,-Figure l is a top plan view 0f the mill; F ig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of the saine, cut on the line 2 2 of Figil; Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view of an end portion of the mill; Fig. 4 kis a diagrammatic plan view of the mill showing the parts in one position; Fig. 5 is a similar viewshowingthe parts in another position. n

Corresponding parts in the several figures are denoted by like characters of reference. The frame of the improved mill structure Aincli'ldes sills y15 at the opposite ends of which are supportedv the housings A` and B of the respective mill units Each housing is provided with an intake 16 and an outlet spout 17. Each outlet spout is equipped with a closure consisting of a slide 19 (see Figs. 4; and 5) which is automatically operated by means to be hereinafter described.

The housings A, B are provided with bearings/for the main shaft 20. 'Ihe shaft 20 carries the runner stones 21, 22 both of which are fixed onthe shaft, the runner 21 in the housing A being positioned in the router end of thehousing, while the runner 22 in the housing B is positioned in the inner end of the housing, the words inner and outer being yused with respect to the intervening frame structure. The bed stone 23 inthe housing A is mounted for sliding movement in said housing, the precise arrangement being Vhereinafter described, while the bed stone 24 in the housing B is secured in the Outer end portion of the housing which is constructed in such a manner as to be readily removable or detachable from the inner end portion of said housing.

The runner 21 of the housing A is securely mounted in a back support C which is a casting comprising a circular disk or base 25 of a diameter equal to that of the runner, said base having a circumferential flange 26 which surrounds the runner, the latter being cemented or otherwise firmly secured in the back support. The latter also includes a hub 274 completely filling the eye of the stone. The flange 26 is of a width materially less than the thickness of the stone, thereby providing for the gradual reduction of the thickness of the latter by wear and dressing. The back support is provided with a plurality of radially disposed set screws 28 extending through the hub thereof and terminally engaging the shaft 20 to assist in securing the back support and the runner yon the shaft. The screwsQS are preferably provided with sharp points Q9, and the shaft is preferably provided with longitudinal series of recesses 30 to be engaged by the a wedge-shaped key 3l engaging a corre- 11o spondingly shaped recess 32 in the' hub 27 said key being also provided with a screw threaded extension 34 that projects through the base of the back support and is provided with a nut 35. It will be seen that by tightening the set screws 28 and the nut 35 the back support containing the runner 21 may be very quickly and conveniently adjusted and secured on the shaft 20, while in order to remove the back support it is only necessary to loosen the set screws and the nut, after which a slight tapping on the threaded projection of the key will loosen the latter sufficiently to enable the back support with the runner to slide endwise of the mandrel.

The housing A includes a detachable end member 36 within which the back support with the runner 21 is accommodated. To prevent meal from accumulating between the end member 36 and the back support the latter is provided on. the outer face of the base thereof with a radial scraper 37, while longitudinal scrapers 38 are mounted or formed exteriorly on the flange 26, said scraper-s serving when the mill is in action to prevent accumulation of meal in the intervening spaces between they back support andthe housing member 36.

Securely connected with the hub 27 is one end of a feed screw or spiral 39, the other end of which projects within the eye of the bed stone 23 for the purpose of feeding material from the intake to the space between the faces of the stones.

The bed stone 23 is fixed in a back support D comprising a base portion or disk 40 having a circumferential flange 41 on which are formed a plurality of lugs 42 having longitudinal apertures 43. The back support D is also formed with diametrically opposite lugs 44 projecting from the base thereof, said lugs being provided with slots 45 for the reception of pins 46 extending` radially from the collar 47 of a bridge tree 43, one end of which is pivoted on a frame bar 49, while the other end of said bridge tree is pressed by a spring 50, whereby the back support containing the bed stone will be moved endwise in a direction away from the runner' 21 or inward with respect to the frame structure and the housing. The spring pressed end of the bridge tree 4S is bifurcated, and it straddles a rod 51 that extends tln'ough the frame of the housing A. with respect to which it is longitudinally slidable. The rod 51 extends through the spring 50 which is of the coiled variety,'and said rod carries at its inner end a stop member 52 and at its outer end a nut 53 which. may be tightened against the outer face of the housing A. Said rod also carries between the stop member 52 and the bridge tree 48 a plate 54having a cam face 55 which coperates with a cam lever 56, the latter being fulcrumed on the rod 57 between the yoperation of the lever.

cam plate 54 and the stop member 52. Between the cam plate 54 and the bridge tree 4S another cam lever 57 is fulcrumed on the rod 51, the last mentioned cam lever cooperating with a cam face 58 on the bridge tree 48. A washer 59 separates the cam plate 54 from the lever 57 to reduce frictional contact, and thereby facilitating the It will be evident that by the construction and arrangement of parts just described, either one of the levers 56, 57 maybe actuated in one direction to force the bridge tree 48 against the tension of the spring 50, thereby moving the back support containing the bed stone 23 outward in the direction of the runner stone 21. By actuating both levers the eXtent of such outward movement may be increased. By` throwing the levers, or either one of them, in the opposite direction, the spring 50 will expand to force the bridge tree, and consequently the back support containing the bed stone, in an inward direction, increasing the distance between the bed stone and the lrunner stone.

The back support D carrying the bed stone 23 is fitted within a band or annular lining 60 which is secured within the housing A by fastening means, such as bolts 61. The lining band 60 is provided at its outer edge with an annular flange 62 and at its inner edge with lugs 63, the latter being connected with the flange 62 by pins or bolts 64 that extend through the apertures 43 in the lugs 42 of the back support D, which latter is thus free to slide lengthwise with respect to the shaft or mandrel, the pins or bolts 64 serving to carry the weight of the bed stone without undue friction. The spaces intervening between the lining band 60 and the lugs 42 are filled with packing material which. while not interfering with the longitudinal movement of the back support D, will prevent meal from passing from said back support and entering the space between the same and the inner end wall of the housing where an accumulation of meal would eventually interfere with the free movement of the back support. The intake 16 pertaining to the housing A communicates with a conical shell. or feed casing 66 which surrounds a spirally grooved core 67 mounted on the shaft or mandrel and serving to convey the grist in the direction of the feed spiral 39 associated with the hub of the runner stone, and whereby the grist is fed between the opposed faces of the stones or grinding elements.

r1`he shaft or mandrel carries a thrust collar 68 which is provided with radial pins 69 engaging apertures in a collar 70 formed on a bridge tree 71 which is fulcrumed on the frame of the machine. one end of said bridge tree being provided with a cam face 72 engaged by a cam lever 73 fulcrumed on a rod 71- which is slidable through the casing of the housing D, said rod having a stop member' 7 5 at its inner end adjacent to the cam lever 7 3 with which the free end of the bridge tree 71 is held in engagement by a coiled spring 76 surrounding .the rod 711. The tension of the spring 7 6 will obviously be exerted to move the runner stone Q2 in the housing B away from the bed stone 23, while by manipulating the cam lever 7 3, the shaft or mandrel may be moved longitudinally to place the runner stone 22 in active engagement with the bed stone Qd.

Fulcrumed on the frame structure of the machine are levers 77, 78 each having a slot that engages a pin 80 projecting from one of the slides 19 which form closures to obstruct the flow of material through the outlet spouts 17. The levers 77, 78 are each provided with a slot engaged by an arm 82, said arms extending, respectively, from the cam levers 56 and 78. By actuating either one of said cam levers for the purpose of placing the mill units in the housings A and B in condition for operation, the levers 77, 7 8, respectively, will be actuated to move the slides or gates 19 of the outlet spouts pertaining to the respective housings to non-obstructing position, while conversely movement of the cam levers in the opposite directions will result in moving the gates to obstructing positions. Thus, when either mill unit is in condition for active operation the gate of its outlet spout will be automatically moved to a non-obstructing position by the mere operation of the cam lever whereby such mill unit is placed in commission.

For the purpose of transmitting motion from the main shaft or mandrel 20 to the shaking feeders, means are employed comprising friction wheels 83 on the mandrel adapted for engagement with friction disks 8-1 carried by vertically disposed shafts 85, the upper ends of which are supported for rotation in brackets 86, while the lower end portions of said shafts are supported in bearings 87 formed on levers 88, each of which is supported for movement in a horizontal plane, the free ends of said levers being engaged by springs 89 whereby they are resiliently supported, thereby permitting the friction disks 84: to yield to pressure of the friction wheels when the shaft or mandrel is moved longitudinally. The shafts 85 are provided at their upper ends' with eccentrically disposed pins 90 which are connected by links 91 with the respective shaking feeders, one of which, as will lbe seen, pertains to the mill unit contained in the housing A, while the 'other pertains to the mill unit contained in the housing B. The spring exerting pressure against the lever 88 affording a bearing for the vertical shaft 85 whereby motion is transmitted to the feeder' pertaining to kthe mill unit in the housing A is coiled about a slidable rod 92, one end of which is connected with an arm 93 extending upwardly from a rock shaft 94: having another arm 95 provided with a crank 96 that engages a slot in th-e lever 77 which is operable, as hereinbefore described, by the cam lever 56, the arrangement being such that when the said cam lever 56 is actuated to throw the mill unit in the housing A into commission, the friction disk which transmits motion to the feeder pertaining to the housing A will be moved into active engagement with the mating friction wheel on the shaft or mandrel.

The frame structure of the machine has been shown as supporting a casing 97 having a feed hopper 98 connected therewith, said casing containing a crushing element 99 carried by the main shaft or mandrel, said casing being provided with an outlet spout. lfeans are also provided for regulating the fineness of the material crushed by this device which constitutes a convenient addition to the improved mill for the purpose of crushing corn on the cob for feed and other purposes, said crushing device being driven by power derived from the same source which is utilized for ,driving the mills and which may be transmitted to the main shaft or mandrel through the medium of a band wheel 101 carried thereby.

The main shaft or mandrel carries a fan 102 contained within a casing 103 having an axial intake 10ft and an outlet 105 from wiich currents of air may be conducted through suitable spouts 106 to the shaking feeders for the purpose of separating chaff and the like from the grist before the latter fed to the mills. The fan casing 103 should be sufficiently wide to permit the fan to revolve without interfering with the sides of the casing in any position of the fan that may be caused by longitudinal adjustment of the shaft or mandrel.

The rods and 74rwhich carry, respectively, the cam levers 56, 57 and 73 `and which are slidably mounted in the casings of the respective housings A and B are threaded at their outer ends and equipped with nuts 107, 108 which may be tightened against the end walls of the respective casings for the purpose of regulating the tension of the respective springs 50 and 76, whereby the grinding elements of the respective mill units are resiliently held in active engagement with each other when the mill is in ope ation.

in the operation of this machine, if it is desired to utilize the mill unit in the housing B only, the nut 107 on the sliding rod 51 is loosened, after which the cam lever 78 is actuated with the result of moving theV main shaft or mandrel longitudinally in the direction of the housing B, placing the runner stone in said housing in active engagement with its mating bed stone, and at the same time starting the friction feed mechanism and actuating the lever 78, whereby the gate of the outlet spout of the housing B is thrown open.. To place the mill unit in the vhousing A iii action while the unit in the housing l is likewise in action, the lever 56 is actuated, thereby starting the friction feed mechanism pertaining to the housing A and also actuating the lever 77 to move the gate or outlet chute of the housing A to a non-obstructing position. To interrupt the operation of the mill unit in the housing` B while the unit in the housing A is in operation, thn cam lever 73 is thrown back, but inasmuch as by this operation the pressure of the spring 76 is reduced, causing the tension of the spring 50 to be exerted to increase the distance between the working faces of the grinding elements 21 and the cam lever 57 must at this time be operated to compensate for this action by pressing the bridge tree 48 against the tension of the spring 50, thereby restoring the grinding elements or bed stone 23 to its working position with respect to the mating runner stone 2l. By throwing back the several cam. levers 56, 57 and 73 both mill units may be placed out of commission.

As will be seen from the foregoing description taken in connection with the drawings hereto annexed, we have produced a simple and effective mill in which either unit may be operated independently of the other unit or in which both units may be simultaneously operated, the feed devices pertaining to the respective units as well as the gates controlling the outlet spouts from said units being operated automatically in responsive action to the levers which are utilized for controlling the action of the respective units.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, is

l. In a mill, a housing, a bed stone carrying back support mounted for longitudinal slidable movement within the'housing, said bach support havinO diametrically opposite lugs, a bridge tree supported pivotally at one end, said bridge tree having a collar provided with pivot members engaging the lugs of the back support, a coiled spring interposed between the housing and the free end of the bridge tree, the latter being provided with a cam face, a threaded rod extending slidably through the housing and having at one end a nut engaging the outer face of the housing and at the other end a stop member, said rod extending through the coiled spring, and a cam lever fulcrumed on the rod and engaging the cam face of the bridge tree to force the latter againstV the tension of the coiled spring, thereby effecting longitudinal adjustment of the bed stone carrying bach support.

2. ln a mill, a housing, a bed stone carrying back support mounted for longitudinal slidable movement within the housing, said baclr support having diametrically opposite lugs, al bridge tree supported pivotallyat one end, said bridge tree having a collar provided with pivot members engaging the lugs of the bach support, a coiled spring interposed between the housing and the free. end of the bridge tree, the latter being provided with a cam face, a threaded rod extending slidably through the housing and having at one end a nut engaging the outer face of the-housing and at the other end a,V stop member, said rod extending through the coiled spring, cam levers fulcrumed on the rod, one of said cam levers engaging the cam face of the bridge tree, and a plate mounted on the rod between'the cam levers and having a cam face engaged by the other cam lever, whereby said cam levers independently or in conjunction with each other may be utilized to tension the spring and to effect longitudinal adjustment of the bed stone carrying back support of various extent. Y

A mill comprising housings, a longitudinally adjustable mandrel journaled in the housings, a bed stone xed in one housing, a bed stone adjustably mounted in the other housing, said bed stones facing in the saine direction, ruimer stones carried by the mandrel, means for moving the mandrel to vary thespace between the faces of therunner and bed stones, feeders for delivering grist to the housings, friction means for operating the feeders from the mandrel, said means being so arranged that when one feeder is in operationV the other is at rest and vice versa.

ln testimony whereof we affix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

his JAMES C. KELLER.

mark lWILSON L. REECE. Witnesses J. C. CABLE, J. L. Renon.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. Y 

